'I'll be at next World Cup' in 2030: Somali referee barred from US

Somali referee Omar Artan, named 2025 CAF Men's Referee of the Year, was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the 2026 World Cup. He returned to a hero's welcome in Mogadishu and vowed to be at the 2030 tournament. The US State Department deemed him ineligible due to alleged associations with terrorist organizations. His removal sparked outrage in Somalia, where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had hailed him as an inspiration for the youth.